Plant-Based Keto Checklist

Thinking about going keto? Many people question whether or not it’s possible to follow a keto diet when their current diet is primarily plant based. When we think about what it means to go keto, a lot of us picture butter and bacon for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but did you know that it’s possible to follow a ketogenic diet and still eat a plant based diet?

Whether or not you’re going full out keto and counting your carbohydrate intake, it’s important to incorporate high quality fats into your diet. We’ve put together a list of keto approved plant based foods that you can incorporate into your diet whether you’re trying to go keto or simply trying to cut back on your carb intake. Check it out!

Plant Based Mylk:

Most plant based mylks will be relatively low in carbs, especially if you’re opting for an unsweetened flavour. We’d recommend sticking with almond, cashew and hemp mylks as nut mylks will be higher in fat and lower in carbs than soy or oat milks. Plus, these are all easy to make! Check out our recipe for Miracle (hemp) Mylk here!

Tofu, Tempeh & Soy

Did you know that tofu is keto friendly? Tofu gets a bad rep sometimes due to soy being a controversial ingredient. However, not all soy is bad for you! When looking at soy based products, try and choose minimally processed forms like tempeh, miso, tofu and edamame and be sure they’re made from whole soybean vs soy protein isolates. Ideally the soy based foods you’re consuming are organic and non GMO and bonus points if they’re fermented (your gut will thank you later).

Vegetables:

Keto gets a bad rep from people who show photos of their keto meals that contain absolutely no micronutrients in the form of fruits and vegetables. While fruit is mostly off the table (we’ll get to that next) a lot of vegetables aren’t! When thinking about keto approved veg, think: dark, leafy and green. Another rule of thumb is to stick to vegetables that grow above ground: spinach, bell peppers, kale, arugula, zucchini, cucumber, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, bok choy, mushrooms and celery. Vegetables to avoid would be starchier veg like potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, beans, peas and squash.

Not into eating your vegetables? Try drinking them! Adding a tbsp of greens powders like our Super 5 Grass Juice Powder or Barley Grass Powder can help you get the nutrients you’re definitely missing. All of our greens powders are keto approved!

Fruit:

While most fruit is mostly something you should avoid when following a keto diet, there are some that are acceptable (in moderation of course). Stick with fruits that are lower in sugar such as strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, cherries and of course avocados! Yes, avocados are fruits! Did you know that acai berries actually contain more fat than they do carbs? Our acai berry powder is an excellent source of nutrients that won’t spike your carb intake for the day thanks to it’s high fat content! Some of our other keto-friendly fruit powders include our Antioxidant Berry Blast and our Camu Camu Powder!

Sweeteners:

Whether you’re keto or not, sugar is something that everyone should have in moderation. There are definitely some sweeteners that are healthier than others. Everyone should try their best to avoid white refined sugar and opt for natural sweeteners like coconut palm sugar and honey. For the keto diet specifically you’ll want to stick to low glycemic sweeteners that are lower in carbs or contain no carbs at all. Our top picks for keto friendly sweeteners? Our green leaf stevia powder and our yacon syrup. Our green leaf stevia contains zero calories and zero carbs and is perfect for baking but we wouldn’t recommend using it to sweeten your morning coffee. Instead, our go-to keto friendly liquid sweetener is our yacon syrup. Yacon syrup is a low glycemic, low calories sweetener similar in taste to maple syrup or molasses. Although it does contain carbs, they’re fructooligosaccharides - indigestible carbs that pass through the body without causing a significant impact on your blood sugar levels. Read more about yacon syrup here!

Nuts & Seeds:

Not only are nuts and seeds a great source of essential fatty acids but they’re also a quality source of plant protein. Maintaining a healthy intake of protein can be tricky on a plant based diet and gets even trickier when trying to go keto but nuts and seeds can help to alleviate some of this stress. Stick to nuts and seeds that are higher in fat such as macadamia nuts, cashews, sesame seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp hearts and baru seeds. Nut butters are definitely keto friendly and if you’re allergic to nuts there are ways to still enjoy them! Try making some keto approved baru butter!

“Bulletproof” Coffee:

Think you can’t enjoy a fat fuelled coffee without dairy? Think again! Try adding a tbsp of cacao butter instead! Not only will you be boosting your coffee with quality fats but you’ll be adding a delicious chocolate flavour. Looking for something instant? Check out our Focus Fuel Coffee!

Focus Fuel Coffee:

Packed with healthy fats from coconut milk powder, C8 MCT oil powder and ahiflower oil powder, our instant mushroom coffee can help boost concentration, enhance memory and fuel your day. Try adding a tbsp of our cacao butter or coconut spread to take this instant coffee blend to the next level.

Chocolate:

You might be thinking that we’re out of our minds, but you can definitely still enjoy chocolate on a keto diet. Homemade chocolate and freezer fudge are both made with quality high fats like our cacao butter, cacao paste, cacao powder and coconut oil - all of which are 100% keto approved. Check out our homemade chocolate fruit and nut bark here! To make that recipe keto friendly, sub out the dried fruit for more nuts! More of a nut butter cup kind of person? Check out our baru butter cups!